Confessions
by desichan17
Summary: Sasuke has many things to hid even though he's only 17. But as they say, things come around. Can Sasuke still keep everything secret from his true feelings for his only friend Naruto, and his bloody past, Or will he finally have to step up and confess?


Heres a better summary - Sasuke's finally 17. His last year of high school. His mind is filled with plans of what to do after school, but not only that. Lately his heads been filled with thoughts of his only true friend, Naruto. Things have gotten ackward between them, and it bothers the Uchiha, but before he can get to the bottem of problem, a certain Detective Hatake shows up, informing the boy that the cold case file of his parents murder has been re-opened and this detective can't be folled like the others have been. Will the trusth finally come out? Now Sasuke must worry about graduating, his feelings towards Naruto, the truth coming to surface, and also about Naruto getting involved in the case, which could only invite more touble. Sasuke has much to hid, and this is his confession.

* * *

Silence filled the air, dread lurking within the darkness of the night.  
The soft patter of shoes was the only noise.

"Father? Mother?"

The door made a screech as it was pushed open.  
The moonlight spilled into the room. The silver light washed over the  
wood floor, shining off a pool of liquid. Red liquid.

"M-mother?!"

My eyes went wide, my mouth open in fear.  
The moonlight reflected off the shiny metal of the blade.

"MOTHER!"

My feet moved, and I tried to run to the body, but was stopped when I  
heard people outside.

"B-brother?"

I turned, and ran back out the door, and deeper into the house.  
Shouting, he could hear it. There were words he didn't quite know, but  
he knew the voices.

"Brother! Father!"

I ran to the doorway, staring into the backyard.  
A gasp escaped me when I saw the sleek black metal. A gun.

The crack filled the air, then the thud of the body.

"FATHER!"

The two figures near the body looked up as shout filled the air.  
My eyes landed on the tallest figure, going wide with shock

"You're dead! You're dead!"

Arms wrapped around my frail body, trying to comfort me.  
I blinked when something cold hit my face, then it landed on my hand

Rain?  
No…  
Tears…..lots of them….tears…..  
And blood……..  
Lots of blood…..

* * *

There was a rustling of sheets, and the blankets fell of the bed, a  
thud when the item inside the cocoon hit the floor. It was cold and  
smooth, but surly not soft.

"Oww……"

I sat up, the sheets slowly sliding off my head, and around my hips.  
The fabric brushed by bare skin causing a few goose bumps that were  
ignored. Soft pants fell from my mouth; Sweat clung to my pale skin,  
causing my side bangs to cling to my face. I looked like I had run a  
mile or two in the middle of June, instead of just waking from a  
rather unwanted dream. But why the fuck did I dream of that? It's  
been…what? 9 years?

I groaned and stood, the blankets falling from my thin frame around my  
feet, which I easily stepped over, and started to cross the room, my  
thoughts swirling through my head as I started to fully wake up, my  
senses returning to me.

It's probably because those damn detectives keep trying to get me to  
help their dumb investigation that my damned dream returned. Really,  
can't they drop the case, its not like any more evidence was going to  
appear, right?

I gently shook my head, trying to get my bangs un-stuck from my sweat  
slicked face, though to no avail. My eyes drifted up, and rested on  
the mirror that was framed by a black border. I let out a soft breath  
as I looked over my reflection.

My baggy grey tee was clinging to my sweat slicked body, sliding off  
one shoulder. My red boxers were loose on me, almost sliding off my  
hips. God I look like crap, I really was fucking skinny. I ran a hand  
through my raven black hair; the front was smooth yet messy, with side  
bangs, and spiked in the back. I slowly blinked, staring at a pair of  
onyx eyes.

One that are filled with sadness, with loathing, and years of secrets.

My name is Sasuke.  
This is my life.  
My confession.

* * *

5:30

A soft frown creeps onto my face while I stare at my watch as I walk  
down my staircase.  
Was it really that early? My hands searched the floor before grabbing  
my black tank, sliding it over my head. It fell just above the pants  
line of my baggy jeans.

A small smile creeps up on my face as I walk into the kitchen.  
Why was I smiling?  
I really didn't know…  
I stand in the kitchen doorway.  
Just standing there, my mind is quite blank, my eyes vacantly staring.

It's rather small, but nice. There are two counters, with a stove on  
the left wall, next to the fridge. In front of me is a large sink,  
with several cabinets, and to the left is a small table with two  
chairs, and a fruit bowl.

Why was I here? Oh yea….food. I sighed and walked to the fruit bowl.  
Nothing.  
My frown deepened, if that was possible.

"God damn it"

I was NOT in the mood for this, I hate cooking.  
Deciding to scrap breakfast, I left and went down the small hall that  
opens to a living room.  
It has a small TV, with a couch. Next to the couch is the front door,  
which I left through.  
I shivered as the cold wind met my once warm skin.  
I hate the morning, I really do.

I stuffed my hands into the pockets of the black jeans as I walked  
down the small path to the street, and then took a sharp left,  
wandering away from my apartment.  
Well…I guess I don't _hate_ the mornings.  
It's actually rather nice.  
Not many people are around, so the streets are an eerie quiet. Just  
the kind I enjoy.

My feet echoed off the building walls around me as I walked, my frown  
still present.  
One thing I hated about this city. Everything was the damn same.  
Brick walls, iron fences. Loud cars, noisy people.  
Nothing new.  
How boring.

I took a turn off the road, cutting down an ally. There was no noise  
here, among the aged bricks and leaking pipes from overhead and musty,  
mildew-smelling air. There was one good thing about this town. I found  
this a few years ago, when I was trying to hid after pissing off my  
older brother.

Brother…

The pony tailed boy's image came into my mind, and I gently shook my head  
Don't think about that. Not now. I looked back at my path, and  
realized I was already out of the alleyway, and at the bottom of a  
small cliff. I grabbed a branch growing out of the side of the cliff,  
and pulled my body up, then grabbed the edge of the cliff, pulling my  
body up onto the slate of land.

When I stood, a rope hung in my face. My still freezing hands gripped  
the rope, and I turned, taking a few steps back. The rough rope  
material was itchy in my hands but I paid no attention, though I did  
note that it was rather wet, hinting that it may have been drizzling  
last night, best to be careful when I jumped so not to land on  
loosened soil.  
I faced towards where the island of land ends and towards the woods.  
Still gripping the rope, I ran forward as fast as my legs would let  
me. When I caught site of the edge, I pushed off the ground, gliding  
through the air for but a moment. The cool air felt rather pleasant  
against my skin in the one instant, that moment where the only thing  
that I was aware of was the damp rope and the sensation of flying. A  
few seconds later, I let go of the rope, my feet landing firmly on the  
ground. There was a slight jolt through my body but I stood firmly,  
perfect landing. My hands slid back into my pockets and I walk on. I  
was so used to this, by now it was second nature, and boy was I glad  
for it. Memories of bad landings brought along the memories of shame  
and pain, lots of pain.

My onyx eyes scanned the area, and stopped on a small dirt path. I  
followed the said path, which was beat and worn, it looked like it  
hadn't been traveled on for years, yet I knew it so well. The path  
started to incline, and wind up a large hill. The path got rockier,  
and some in parts it was hard to keep your footing, which I often  
learned the hard way, yet another painful memory. When I finally  
reached the top, I gave a quick look around. I was on top of the  
biggest hill in town. It looked over the entire town, a giant watching  
a village, giving it soft shadows during the day, and an eerie look at  
night. It was quite beautiful. But not many actually climbed the hill,  
and actually looked down from it, most were too sacred, fearful they  
might fall from the mighty cliff. Therefore, not many saw the ireal/i  
town.

My onyx eyes swept over the land, taking it all in.  
From the lush green trees that were bursting with life, to the small  
houses that seemed centuries old from the peeling paint, to the dim  
yellow lamps that flooded light into the streets that were barely  
turned on, at such early hours. I sighed when it started to get  
brighter. The sun was rising. Though it was rising behind me I didn't  
care to watch, for I had seen it before. What I wanted to see was the  
town rise; it was much more captivating to me then some giant ball of  
gas.

As I stared at the town, I couldn't help but laugh to myself.  
This was the same town I was loathing for its same, boring look.  
Yet from here, I admired it.

The brick walls were showered with a gentle orange glow, making the  
bricks look fake, almost painted. The fence was shimmering in the new  
light, looking like luminescent thread, rather then metal. The loud  
cars were few, the ones there were out caught the light in their shiny  
paint, and let the orange mix with the color of the car, making a new  
color that shined, almost like a spotlight. The noisy people were  
silenced here. They were just small dots with hair walking from small  
house to small house.

Here it was hard to tell house from shop. The only reason I knew was  
because I lived here for so long. I took a seat on the edge of the  
hill, still staring. A sweet smell drifted up to me, and I smiled. Mr.  
Gregory owns a bakery, which is at the foot of the hill. Next to him,  
Mrs. Smith sells fresh fruits and vegetables. On the other side, Mr.  
Kipo sells fish. I may be the only one who loves the smell of fish.  
But when all three aromas are mixed into one, I go into incense  
heaven. This was my spot. This is where I went to think, to relax, to  
live. I've spent most of my days, my life on this hill.

It was all too perfect.

And yet, I couldn't help but feel as if something was empty. Though I  
wasn't sure what, I've been getting this feeling a lot, when doing  
many things, but especially now. But like always, I brushed it off,  
ignoring the feeling like I do many emotions or feelings that cause me  
to be uneasy. Not the best way to deal with something, but it was my  
way so I really didn't give a crap if it was best or not.

A contented sigh escaped, my eyes drooping slightly. It was still very  
early; most of the town wasn't even awake yet. It's was clear to me  
that I would stay up here until it was time for school, for I always  
do. Besides, I wasn't in the mood to be around anyone. Then again, I  
always get like this after I have_ that_ nightmare, so I guess it wasn't  
too strange for me to be feeling this way. My chain of thought was  
broken when something was put on my head.

"Huh?"

The object on my head made a soft crinkling noise and I turned my  
head, causing more of the noise, as I gazed at my guest. My eyes  
opened a bit wider when I saw a warm goofy smile that seemed brighter  
then the sun behind the person casting a shadow over me. The last  
thing I expected to see here was that damn goofy smile. That goofy  
smile belonged to none other then my friend, my best friend, Naruto.  
The blonde chuckled as he stood up, blocking ever more of the sun with  
his figure with that goofy smile plastered to his face.

"Mornin' teme!"

He let out a light laugh, and lifted the object off my head, a plastic  
bag. I blinked, and slowly reached my hands up to take it, the  
material gently crinkling in my hand, a bit of red showing through the  
see translucent material. It was filled with some large tomatoes, and  
three boxes of cherry tomatoes.

"Eat."

He sat down next to me, staring at my confused face. There was a  
twinkle in his eyes that made me want to question his actions but I  
bit my tongue, knowing better then to question the blonde. When you  
questioned him, the answer only left you with more questions and it  
truly was frustrating.

"I knew you'd skip breakfast."

I gave him a flat look and sighed. I swear, him and his damn worrying.  
He was worse then a woman when it came to these things, especially my  
eating. For some reason, he hated that fact that I was a bit  
underweight for a boy my age. Personally, I felt my weight was in good  
shape, but something told me he felt different.

"I'm not hungry."  
"Eat or I'll make you, by forcing it down your throat."

I opened a box.  
God sometimes I wanted to hit the kid.

I set the bag down, and placed the box in my lap, popping a small red  
fruit into my mouth. When I bit down, it exploded in my mouth, the  
mouth watering taste covering my taste buds, causing my senses to  
spike in pleasure. I love tomatoes very much, to me they are the best  
fruit ever and it was clear Naruto knew this since he was always  
getting them for me. Though I always wondered why…but then again, at  
the same time I really don't want to know, feeling that somehow the  
answer may scare me.

"Why are you here dobe? Isn't it like 2 hours before your supposed to wake up?"

The boy gave a light shrug. I stared. I hated when he gestured, is it  
really that hard to give an explanation?

"I woke up early, and I saw someone climbing this path. Only you and I  
know the back way, so I knew it was you….besides…."

His cerulean eyes stared into my onyx ones for a moment, before  
looking at his knees. I blinked, then saw the soft concerned look on  
his face and stiffened. I knew the words he was going to utter before  
he did, yet I still was hoping I was wrong. Though I knew I wasn't.

"…whenever you come here this early, it means you've had another  
nightmare. Right?"

I winced, and by the way his eyes fell even lower it was clear that he  
felt bad for bringing it up. It was fine though, I always forgave him.  
He was only worried after all, so it's not like I could really be mad.  
Naruto WAS my best friend, so a few years ago I told him of the  
nightmares. Ever since then, this has happened.

Though ill never admit it, I'd much rather have him bugging me  
endlessly then be alone right now. I owed him, because he knew. He  
knew many things. Sometimes, he knew things about me before I did. I  
knew how strange that must sound but it's quite true, the boy rarely  
read but I was one of the things that he loved to read, apparently I  
must be more interesting then a book. Tch, too bad he couldn't do a  
book report on me. Then again, I'm scared what he would write…..

"Sooo….are you going to school today?"

I gave him a confused look, and he sighed. It was clear he didn't want  
to say it, but I was confused by his words, for the day's events had  
slipped my mind. But they were about to come back.

"Didn't those guys say they might come to talk to you today? At school?"

I blinked as it came back, and cursed lightly. I hate those fuckers.  
Can't they just leave me alone? Damn detectives with their bloody  
questions. Sometimes I wish I could make them all just disappear so I  
could at least try to have a normal life. Is it really too much to ask  
for these days?

"I remember…but I'll still go"

Naruto bit his lip, and then smiled. I stared at the boy's smile and  
my heart lifted a bit. For some reason the boy's smile was like a ray  
of sun to me. No matter how cold I was feeling or how down I was his  
smile either warmed me or lifted me up. Yet another one of his stupid  
traits I was rather pleased to experience.

"I can get you out of it…"

"NO!"

The boy let out a laugh, and tried to cover his mouth, failing. I knew  
all too well what THOSE words meant. Those were words of doom! Sure  
doom!

"Bastard."

The last thing I needed was Naruto causing trouble. That was asking  
for hell. Last time I asked for his help to get out of something he  
set rats loose in the girl's locker room! Oddly enough, it did get me  
out, but still! Those poor girls! Then again, if Naruto was offering  
that meant he already had something cooked. Sly fox!

"Hey Sasuke?"

My gaze drifted up from the ground and to the boy. I looked him over,  
waiting for him to speak. While I waited for him to speak, my eyes  
scanned his entire body. His ruffled butter blonde locks were sticking  
out everywhere and his messy bangs that fell in his face gave him a  
very laidback look. His cerulean blue eyes sparkled in the orange glow  
of the rising sun, flowing with life. It was clear he spent lots of  
time under the large star, since his skin had a soft tan that made him  
look like some surfer boy. The only flaw was his cheeks, which, for  
some reason, had three scars on each side. Neither of us knew why.  
I…..kind of liked them. They made him look like a fox….a cute fox….

He made a soft noise and my eyes looked back at his, my attention  
fully focused on him and less on his actual body. (My god that  
sounded dirty, Shikamaru was rubbing off on me…) I may not show it,  
but I do listen to what others say, especially Naruto, his words  
always held importance to me no matter how trivial. I know it sounds  
stupid but I have my reasons.

"Um…are you sure you're ok? I mean…I know this case pisses you off…and  
makes you think about your brother…."

I give a slight sigh. Does this poor kid ever STOP worrying? For  
someone with such a carefree laugh he sure doesn't act like it when he  
brings up this sort of stuff!

"Dobe. Don't worry about me. This case is just annoying. As for my  
brother…I deal with it."

The blonde boy gave me a nod, and I forced back a smile, though  
somehow it didn't fully feel forced. The boy had a way to always cheer  
me up, no matter what kid of mood I had been in. It annoyed me.  
Naruto sighed and stood up stretching, his loose black tee shifted  
slightly to show a bit of his flat stomach, and a bit of his tattoo  
peeked out, before he folded his hands behind his head, hiding the  
tattoo once more.

I smiled lightly, biting my tongue so I didn't chuckle. That dumb ink.  
Ah, the joy of being 7 and having your best friend lose a bet. It was  
probably a good thing he lost, for if I had lost and come home with a  
tattoo that big my mother would have killed me with her damn mop.  
Not kidding, she really would have!

"Well teme? Ready to go?"

I also sighed and stood, smirking when I noticed that I was still  
taller than him. This fact had always filled me with pride and him  
with shame. We were such strange friends since we loved to outdo each  
other. No matter, we were friends and that is all that counted.

"You mean to get pressured by assholes for 9 year old information? Sure!"

Naruto stared at me, then burst out laughing, slinking an arm around  
my shoulders. His arm stood out greatly against my pale skin, and I  
couldn't help but smirk. I should really get out more often.

"God Sasuke! I think I'm the only one who's seen this side of you!"

I blinked, and realized that's true. I'm only open when I'm with  
Naruto. With everyone else, I'm like a clam, refusing to open.  
Strange….  
Not dwelling on useless thoughts, I followed the boy as he walked to  
the side of the hill opposite from where we came up. He knew this  
place as well as I did, seeing as we came here together almost  
everyday.

"Let's go!"

The boy gripped the bag in his hand, throwing me one last smile and  
running forward, jumping off the hill. He was sliding down the grassy  
side, truly a much faster and much more fun way of getting down. I  
waited a few moments, before doing the same thing.  
My body went airborne for but a moment, before I hit ground, grass  
flying past my bare arms. The feeling was tingly, but in a rather  
pleasant way. My body was sliding down the grassy hill at quite a  
speed. I could see the bottom of the hill, with Naruto waiting.

Wait! Naruto was at the bottom?!

"Naruto! Move!"

Too late.

Before we could react, I hit the last bump, and went airborne again; I  
closed my eyes tightly and tensed, knowing it was going to hurt. I hit  
the blonde with a soft thud, and we both flew backwards. My eyes opened  
in shock as I saw we had gone airborne (again), then wider when I saw  
blue. At first I though it was as the sky, 'till I saw our reflection  
and it shifted. Not sky, but water! The river!

"Fuck!"

Hitting the cold surface was like hitting a wall. The water erupted around us,  
then swallowed us whole. My eyes, which were still open, stung terribly,  
making me close them tightly. A large bubble erupted from my lips  
when I gasped. Cold water filled my mouth and made me gag. Coming  
back to my senses, I kicked up, clawing at the cold atmosphere around  
me. My head broke the surface, and I gasped for air. I heard another  
gasp next to me. I didn't look over right away, for I already knew who  
it was. Once my eyesight got back to normal, I instantly glared at the  
blonde boy. He gave me his trademark smile, the one I loath, and find  
comfort from. God I want to punch him.

"Ehehe…sorry teme!"  
"I'm gonna kill you Naruto!"  
"EAHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Water splashed everywhere as I tried to drown the struggling boy. He  
let out a laugh and kicked back, trying to swim away as I tried to  
tackle him, our clothes heavily weighing us down.

"Stupid dobe!"  
"I said I'm sorry!!!"

* * *

I gripped the handle of the door. The metal was cold in my hand. I  
gripped it harder when a cold shiver went through me, due to my  
semi-wet clothes. Naruto saw this, and took a step back, knowing I was  
still ticked off at him. My arm yanked back, wrenching the door open.  
Naruto stared, knowing the force of my pull was meant to be put into a  
fist for him.

"Did I tell you I hate you?"  
"5 times"  
"Make it 6. I hate you"

The blonde let out a sigh, though there was a faint smile on his lips,  
Thankfully I ignored it. I was too pissed to yell at him at the  
moment. Now I'd have to go the whole day with wet clothes! I sent a  
glare in the boy's direction, before actually walking into the  
classroom.  
As soon as I stepped in the classroom, a mask was put over my face, my  
body. A stoic, cold face replaced the annoyed one. Don't ask why I  
did this, I just did. It felt safer, more natural to me.

I saw Naruto saw out of the corner of my eye, and raised an eyebrow.  
Why was he smiling? When he smiled like that….its meant something  
bad…something like…

"SASUKE-KUUUUUN!"

Dear kami, kill me.

I winced when I felt arms drape over my body in a loose hug. I bit my  
tongue to hold back a shiver and the sheer desire to bolt back out the  
door. Fuck I'd rather be in the river!

"Good morning Sasuke-kun!"  
"Morning Karin"

The odd hair-styled girl giggled, and I groaned. Karin is such a  
clingy girl and such a bother! Why the fuck does she have to cling  
to me?! There are like 400 other guys in school!!

"Can I please go to my seat?"  
"But Sasuke-kuuuun! I want to hang out!"

I slipped out of her arms, and walked away, my hands shoved deep in my  
pockets, a scowl across my face. God I hate that woman. Then again, I  
hate most women. To giggling and loud for my taste, though a few catch  
my eye, those being the shy more withdrawn type. Like Hinata or  
Tenten. They weren't obsessed with looks and overly loud. Like Karin,  
who was like a fucking loudspeaker. Speaking of the redhead, from the  
corner of my eye, I could see her walking back towards me. That is…'till an  
arm slung around my shoulders.

"Yo teme! Lets get to our seats!"

Naruto smiled, winking. I could have hugged him. Could have, but never  
would, especially not in school. I let the blonde lead me to our desks  
in the back corner. Immediately, I took the one next to the window,  
and stared out said window. I could feel the frown from my friend,  
and I had to force down a smile. Sometimes, pissing him off was way too  
fucking fun. See, Naruto how this thing about him, he hated when I went  
into 'emo mode' as he called it, which was when I went silent and  
gazed out a window.

A moment passed, and I finally stole a look over at the boy next to  
me. He was quiet for more then a minute, so I was worried. He  
was….still. His cerulean blue eyes were transfixed on the board. This  
confused me greatly. This kid was never distracted from annoying me to  
hells end. Especially on something on the board.

"Naruto?"

I watched as a smirk crept up the boys face, his teeth glinting in the  
light. That was FAR from good, it could only mean hell for me. joy.  
Fucking joy.

'Hm?"

My onyx eyes slid away from the boy, and over to the board. It was  
blank, except for the substitute's name on the board written in a messy  
fashion. Tch, illiterate fool.  
Wait….  
SUB?!

My eyes went wide a bit. Crap, crap, crap, crap. Subs…meant one thing…..  
I watched as Naruto's hand twitched, before balling into a fist,  
punching into the air, letting out a loud whoop

"FREE DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  
"Crap"

There was a thud as my head hit the desk. The pain that shot through  
my head didn't even faze me. I hate free days…. I sat still like that,  
listening to Naruto laugh, and twitched slightly when he patted my back.  
I let out a growl, but his hand didn't move.

"Aww! Come on Sasuke-teme!"

I offered a groan, and refused to lift my head. Why should I? I hate  
free days! I always get dragged around the room by the stupid blonde.  
Id much rather sit here and read. Though I knew that was never going  
to happen, because he wasn't too merciful, not by far. Before I could  
rant to the boy about how much I hated him, there was a loud thud on my  
desk, and I slowly lifted my head, half worried about who caused the  
noise.  
One glance and a frown was carved on my face.

"What the hell are YOU doing here?"  
"Mornin' to you too"

I could hear Naruto gasp next to me at the sound of my greeting. Oh boy,  
here we go!

"SHIKA-KUUN!!!"

The brunette didn't have time to look up before he was tackled by the  
blonde. There was a loud clatter as the two crashed the ground, almost  
taking a desk and another student with them. I couldn't help but give  
a small smirk at this. Dumb ass kids, both of them really. I slowly  
stood and leaned over the desk, staring down at the pair. Shikamaru let  
out a groan, and Naruto chuckled, sitting on the boy's chest. The  
older looked like he was about to kill, while Naruto looked like he was  
about to break out in song from his cheery smile.

"Hey Shika-kun!"  
"Ughh…hey Naruto…."

Chuckling, I walked around my desk and squatted next to the floor-loving  
pair, not even trying to hide my smirk. Shikamaru glared at me,  
but I ignored it completely, which bothered him even more, making me  
laugh even harder.

"Nice landing"  
"Emo"  
"Lazy"  
"Bitch"

I growled and stood, making Naruto frown. Shikamaru and I were always  
fighting, yet it bothered Naruto to no end and I never really knew  
why. Maybe because for some reason he though me and the pony boy were  
friends, which we were not. Far from, more like enemies. Only reason I  
put up with him is 'cause of the young blonde boy.

"You guys…."

Shikamaru let out a small smile, and I sighed. I didn't feel like  
explaining myself, so I sat back, letting Shikamaru once against  
explain to Naruto we weren't really fighting. We never did.

"We're playing Naruto, relax"

The blue eyed boy stared at us, gently biting his lip. After a  
moment, he sighed and smiled. That was Naruto's way of pushing  
something behind him, as if to ignore it and act like it didn't exist.  
Not the best, but it was effective and left him happy, so I didn't  
mind and I'm sure Shikamaru didn't either.

"Alright!....come on guys! Free day!!"

I groaned once more. This meant that both Shikamaru and I would be  
dragged around by the blonde. Sometimes, I question why I put up with  
him. Yanking my hand away from his grip, I fell back into my seat and  
pull a book from my bag, cracking it open. Naruto threw me a  
disapproving look, but I ignored it.

Why should I care what that brat thinks?  
Though…I did peer up every now and then from my book, stealing a glance  
at the blonde.

Naruto had dragged Shikamaru over to a pair of desks near the window  
on the other side of the room, on which they were sitting and laughing.  
The boy was tugging at Shikamaru's hair, causing the hair band to fall  
out of place. The brunette's dark eyes were wide as his soft brown  
hair gently spilled over his shoulders, and he let out a loud gasp.

"Naruto!"

He reached over, snatching the band from the boy, throwing him a  
glare. Naruto giggled, and inched away from the other, sticking out  
his tongue. Shikamaru frowned and grumbled as he re-tied his hair.

"Sometimes I hate you"  
"No you don't! liar!"

He rolled his eyes and Naruto started to poke him, while the other  
sighed, though occasionally returned the gesture. Stupid really. Why  
should I waste my time doing such trivial things like that, though I know  
the blonde wants me to.  
I'd rather read, and be alone than be around those two morons.

Yet, I couldn't help but cast Shikamaru a faint glare every time he  
made the blonde laugh.  
It annoyed me. VERY much. I brushed my rather annoyed feelings aside,  
and went back to my book. At least my book wasn't annoying the hell  
out of me.

* * *

A loud ringing filled the halls, and within moments students were pouring  
from their classrooms and into the quickly filling hallway, all with one  
thing one their young minds.  
It was finally lunch hour.

"Come on teme!"  
"I'm coming dobe!"

I groaned lightly as the boy gripped my wrist, dragging me through the  
crowded hallways, causing me to bump shoulders with several people and  
run into more. I swear there was more people in this school then  
should be legal! Don't they care about crowd control?!

"Naruto…"  
"Relax! I'm going to the tree!"

At the blonde's words, I did in fact relax. The tree was in fact a  
large oak tree that stood 15 feet tall and 4 feet wide. Its branches  
hung out about another 4 feet giving a large area of shade, and a huge  
toy for children. It's been at our school of as long as I can  
remember; In fact I remember hearing my brother and my cousin (who is  
older then both of us) talking about how he used to sit under The Tree  
during his school days. As children, we use to come here and play in  
the tree, to us The Tree was an amazing toy, now teenagers, we go the  
same tree to eat lunch, enjoying its ample amounts of shade.

The crowds slowly vanished, letting me actually have some room to breathe  
and move freely without injury, and we walked towards The Tree. As  
expected, there was already someone sitting at the bottom of the  
large trunk, hidden in its large shadow. It wasn't hard to guess who.  
Even from here, I could see the flaming red hair that only belonged to  
one person in this school. As we got closer, I heard Naruto chuckle  
gently, then watched as he raised a hand, waving.

"Gaara! Hey!"

The redhead looked up, his eyes as emotionless as ever, with the same  
blank expression. I thought I saw him move his hand, but I wasn't  
sure. Then again he wasn't really one to greet someone, even if they  
were a friend.. I let Naruto drag me over to the boy, not really  
caring anymore. What was the point of fighting back? I knew I would  
never win. That is why I didn't fight when he pulled me down to sit  
next to him.

"Hey Gaara-kun! How'd you get here so fast?!"  
"…I had free period last. I was reading here"  
"Oh…."

I looked up and our eyes locked, and we stared at each other for a  
moment, though we didn't utter a sound. You can't really call Gaara and  
me friends. He was more of Naruto's friend then mine. The kid was  
quite quiet, and seemed to hate the world, yet he had some strange  
attachment to the hyper blonde. Its not like I hate the kid, we  
actually get along, but we'd rather sit in silence together then  
engage in conversation like most friends.

I tore my gaze away when someone else joined our group, taking a seat  
between me and Naruto. Shikamaru. We exchanged glances, with a slight  
nod, but nothing more. Once again, like Gaara, Shikamaru was more  
Naruto's friend then mine. I stared at the boy for a moment, before  
turning to Naruto. Sometimes Shikamaru really got on my nerves, he was  
always so attached to Naruto, and it was REALLY annoying.

"Hey dobe….did you bring lunch today"

The blonde boy opened his mouth, no doubt to make a smart remark, when  
he froze. Right away, I knew the ditz had forgotten. My only reaction  
was to groan, and roll my eyes. What a fool, couldn't he do anything  
without having his hand held?

"Such a loser"  
"Hey!...at least I eat!"

When Naruto spoke, Gaara raised a brow, causing me to inwardly flinch.  
The redhead boy had a way of staring someone down like no detective  
could, I should know. His sea green eyes focused one me, and without  
words I already knew he was fighting the urge to scold me. For some  
reason, he loved to scold people.

"What?"  
"You…don't eat?"

His voice was soft as it always, but that's not what made me wince. It  
was the chuckle from behind him. It was the frustrating chuckle that  
could only belong to a certain brunette who loved to make my blood  
boil. Taking a sharp breath, I glanced over at the boy, trying to  
fight hard to keep my cool, even though I knew his words were going to  
piss me off.

"Have you looked at the kid? He looks like he's never seen food!"

Gaara cast me a glance, his eyes gazing over every detail of my body,  
which I must say was quite uncomfortable. After a moment, he frowned  
deeply with a very disapproving grimace. Huh, seems the silent boy has some  
concern in him. Cute. I let out a soft sigh, casting my gaze away  
from the younger boys, and focused on the many branches above us,  
hoping that something would happen to end the conversation quick.

"Guys please, I DO eat."  
"You didn't eat breakfast."  
"Forgot."  
"Dinner last night?"  
"Busy."  
"Lunch yesterday?"  
"Busy."  
"Breakfast yesterday?"  
"Forgot."

I groaned and tossed Shikamaru a light glare, but nonetheless  
offered my attention to see what he wanted. When I turned to face  
him, he grabbed my shoulders to hold me still. I opened my mouth to  
protest, and when I did he shoved a spoonful of food in my mouth. I  
tried to yelp, but it was only a muffled noise as I fell away from  
him.

"Eat you frickin' stick"

I growled at the boy, showing I was clearly displeased, but took the  
stick…of what ever the hell it was…Oh....sautéed chicken…on a stick?  
Strange, but it didn't matter what it was, I didn't want to be fucking  
force-fed! Who would? Not bothering to think about the question any  
further, I quietly nibbled on the meat, my mind dwelling on other  
thoughts. Why had the pony haired boy done that? Not because he  
actually cared about me. Probably cause he didn't want to see Naruto  
getting all worried about me. Bustard.

"You don't need to feed me…."  
"…You can die from not eating…."

We all gazed at our soft spoken friend, and I gazed at his own slim  
figure, and snorted.

"You're one to talk"

The boy gently blinked, his long lashes brushed together, really he  
was kind of girly especially with all that damn eyeliner, and he reached  
into his bag, pulling out a bag of chips. I frowned, then frowned  
deeper at the chips. Smart Bastard. Though I couldn't help but notice  
the corner of his mouth twitch slightly. Well well, so he CAN smile!

"Ya…well….uh…"

I fell silent, unable to come up with anything to say back. This, of  
course, brought a smile to my blonde friends tanned face. He chuckled  
lightly, before laughing out loud, not really caring to contain  
himself.

"Hehe, Teme's speechless!"  
"Shut it dobe!"

I quickly turned to the boy and raised my fist, cursing him vehemently.  
He let out a laugh and held his hands out in front of his face  
as if to make me back down. I sighed and my fist fell back onto my  
knee, harmless. Could I ever really hit the blonde? Hell no…I doubt I  
could….I mean, who could without actually feeling guilty? There was  
just something about him, and I still yet to figure it out.

"Sasuke-kun!!"

At the sound of my name my attention was torn from my friends and I  
turned to find the caller, hoping it was someone much more kind to me  
then the blockheads I was currently surrounded with. Then again,  
anything was better then these losers, even Karin.

I take that back.

My onyx eyes scanned the area, and landed on a couple walking over, one of  
which was waving at me, their bracelets clanging together, their  
bright smile shining.

The bright pink hair was unmistakable. Sakura.  
The one next to her…...was running over to us.

"Greetings Sasuke! Naruto!"

A certain boy with the fuzziest eyebrows in the world and worst bowl  
cut ever. Not to mention his green eyesore of a bag. God I hate that  
thing. Oh, what I would give to burn it.

"Greetings everyone! I hope your having a pleasant afternoon! I hope  
your all filled with the joy of youth! Yosh!"

That was a rhetorical question, yet he answered it. Ah, that was Lee  
for you, as unpredictable as ever. Though, despite his over the top  
and way out-there actions and thoughts, deep down you couldn't help  
but love the guy. Kinda.

"Lee! Sakura!"

Naruto stood and walked over to the pair, greeting them with warm  
smiles. Sakura returned the smile, stealing glances over at me, though  
I pretended not to see. As for Lee, he was busy trying to get Gaara to  
say hello. Epic fail.  
Naruto smiled at the bubble gum haired girl and eyed her carefully  
before speaking.

"What are you doing here?"  
"I wanted to say hi…plus…"

She pulled something from her bang and held it out to Naruto. A bento  
box. The boy's blue eyes went at the sight, and there was a slight  
sparkle as he stared. It was clear his mouth was already watering, his  
mind already dreaming up what the small box could be filled with,  
which made him crave it even more. I swear that boy's stomach was  
bigger then his imagination.

"I knew you'd forget"  
"Thank you Sakura-chan!"

Naruto gave the girl a warm, tight hug, only earning a sigh. I gave a  
faint smile at their actions. Sakura and Naruto were good friends,  
though she did often yell at him for his overly stupid actions. She  
was also, surprisingly, my friend as well. Though she was closer to me  
then I was to her.

"Just take it!"

The boy took the food and plopped down next to me, his smile nothing  
happier then that of a kitten. I bit back my urge to smile, though let  
out a silent chuckle. Sometimes the boy's silly actions were quite  
cute and more often than not brought a smile to my face. I turned away  
from my friend and looked over at the girl as she took a seat next to  
me. She gave a soft smile, and pulled a bento from her bag.

A pale hand gently tucked a short pink strand behind her ear. I looked  
at my friend's short hair, frowning. A few years ago, some stupid punks  
picked a fight with us, and since we were three years younger we  
weren't having an easy time. Sakura tried to stop them, and they went  
after her instead. One fag even cut her hair. Just wrong.  
A woman's hair was everything to her. But, then about a week later  
after a huge fight, Ino, Sakura's friend, cut her hair, to show Sakura  
she wasn't weak.

Women confused me.  
Badly.

I blinked out of my daze when a hand was waved in front my face. Following  
the hand, I saw Naruto smiling at me, holding out the box. It was  
filled with many good smelling treats, and with one glance I knew  
Naruto had every right to let his mouth start watering. Despite what  
she said, Sakura was quite the chef. Though one thing that caught my  
attention about the box that was different was that instead of just one,  
there were two sets of chopsticks.

"Share?"

This time I couldn't hold down the soft smile. Sometimes, the dobe was  
too sweet, even to me. Normally I would have turned the offer down,  
but A, it smelled hella good and B, it was too kind to say no.

"Dobe….thanks"

His smile got bigger and he moved closer, handing me the second pair  
of chopsticks, setting the box on both of our knees. Taking the  
chopsticks, I stare at them for a moment.

Where the hell did he get them from anyways?

Ignoring the thought, I started to pick at some of the food, slowly  
eating, savoring the wonderful taste. Never mind, she was an  
incredible chef! After eating a bit, I stopped and took a quick look  
around me, at the small group laughing, and goofing off. Hehe, this was  
the group I hung with. MY group of friends. The word was alien to me,  
yet at the same time that I thought about it, a soft smile crept upon my  
face.

It was times like this that I actually enjoyed.  
Times that couldn't be replaced, no matter what.

Nothing could ruin this.

_Sasuke Uchiha, please report to the Dean's office_

I stand corrected.

* * *

Neh, This is my first time writting a SasuNaru, so please tell me how a do.

HUGE hug for You've Killed Me for helping edit this for me! .

All kinds of reviews, Good or Bad please send so i can improve myself, thank you!


End file.
